Wingless Hearts
by PrinceBurn
Summary: After the final battle with Sephiroth and his Remnants, Cloud suffers grave injuries and is sent to limbo between Life and Death. Instead of Aerith meeting him there, he encounters the one he truly loved. Zack. [FFVII-Advent Children][Alternate Ending/AU][Yaoi][Zack/Cloud]


_Unfortunately, I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its assets._

_**Warning**: Obviously hinted yaoi (male/male) relationship between Zack and Cloud. Don't like, don't read._

_Enjoy!_

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**Wingless Hearts**

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The blinding white light around him, the pain in his wounds fading as he laid there, a feeling of peace rising.

Aqua blue eyes opened and Cloud shakily sat up, looking around the endless plain of nothing, "Am I…dead?"

"Not quite, friend." The sound of beating wings followed the echoed voice that was so painfully familiar to the blond. He felt himself freeze up as a tall shadow fell over him and his heart clenched in his chest as memories flew before his eyes. Slowly, with a deep swallow, he looked over his shoulder and instantly had tears welling up as he saw who was behind him.

"Z-Zack…" he forced out, his voice trembling as he looked at the man he'd seen die all those years ago. His long, spiked black hair, muscled figured and those vibrant blue eyes that sent shivers down Cloud's spine.

Zack's lips parted in one of his signature grins as he placed his hands on his hips, a pair of brilliant white wings perched on his back, "Hey there, Chocobo. Seems like you've got yourself in quite a jam."

Shuffling to his knees, Cloud stared in disbelief with his mouth gaping like a fish out of water. Unable to say anything, the tears in his eyes spilled over as the long buried emotions rose to the surface and he looked down at his hands braced on the ground, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed.

Within moments of his breakdown, those familiar boots filled his vision before black clad knees hit the ground before his own and he was pulled into a warm embrace he hadn't felt in years. The familiar scent of Zack made things worse and the tears flowed faster, the sobs shook his slimmer frame, his arms coming up to wrap around Zack's form. He gripped the brunette's sweater and pulled himself impossibly close to him. "It's ok, Cloud."

Hiccupping with each sob, Cloud struggled to speak through his tears, "It…it's not ok…you're dead. I'm all alone…" his fingers tightened their grip on Zack's sweater.

A wide, calloused hand threaded itself into his soft, spiked hair and the muscled arms around him shook as Zack began to break down too, the emotions becoming too much for him. "I know," he sniffed, "I know…I'm sorry, Cloud. I'm so sorry."

Zack's wings came to wrap around them as they let their hearts out, tears flowing shamelessly as they held each other close. Cloud was the first to wiggle a little out of the other man's hold to look into his vibrant blue eyes. Gazes locked, their tears diminished, they took only a moment to press against each other again in a passionate kiss. Their broken bond surged to life again and Cloud gasped at the sensation, tears bursting forth again as their souls reconnected. "Zack…"

A soft smile made itself known as Zack rested their foreheads together, "Yes, Cloud?"

"Come back with me." Cloud had realized that it was only a matter of time before he left this limbo realm and returned to the living world, as his wounds were slowly healing. He didn't want to go back without the one thing that made him truly happy. He looked Zack hard in the eyes and tightened his grip on his shirt, "Come back with me!" he stated more firmly.

A sad look filled Zack's handsome face and his smile shrank minimally, "Cloud…that's not how it works." His hands rubbed the blonde's shoulders in a comforting gesture.

"No!" he shook his head in frustration and stubbornness, "I won't go back without you!" His darker blue eyes flared and angry tears began to flow, "I don't want to be alone again!"

"Cloud," Zack brought a gentle hand to his face, "You're never alone, I'm always with you, and you have your friends too." He smiled, "I know you're strong enough to move on." He was trying so hard to comfort his beloved, but he knew that, in the end, even his own resolve would be broken by Cloud's plea.

"It's not the same!" Cloud yelled, his shoulders shaking, "I can't keep waking up alone anymore! Please, Zack," he looked up pleadingly, "Please come back to me!"

In the heat of the moment, the remainder of Cloud's wounds healed and the white world got increasingly brighter. Before Zack could say anything more to him, Cloud lost sight of him as the blinding light separated them and he felt himself becoming heavier as the living world began to drag him down. "No!" he screamed, searching widely for Zack as he resisted the pull, "ZACK!"

"Cloud." His outstretched hand grasped a familiar wrist and he held on tight as he lost the fight with the pull, falling back to The Planet from the limbo of the Lifestream. Blackness clouding his vision and cutting off the bright light.

[-]

A cold, wet feeling was what stirred him and made him draw a long delayed gasp of air into his rejuvenated lungs. Cloud's eyes fluttered open and he saw the blurry image of the broken church roof, soft sunlight streaming in. He struggled to sit up and, as his vision cleared, saw the many citizens of Midgar and his friends surrounding him and the pool of water he was laying in.

"Welcome back."

He started and looked at Tifa before something twitched in his hand, making him look down. Heart hammering in his chest he stared in disbelief as he saw Zack floating next to him, his body completely and perfectly restored. Cloud held onto the man's wrist and stared, speechless, as those dark eyelashes fluttered and Mako blue eyes opened themselves to the living world for the first time in years since his death.

Zack blinked and turned his head to look at Cloud, his trademark grin nearly splitting his face in two. Shakily sitting up he lifted the hand the blond had a grip on and rested his palm against cheek, eyes brimming with love. "I'm back."

Happy tears flowed from Cloud's eyes and he wrapped his arms around Zack once more, hugging him close.

"We're back."

**Fin**

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